Pact of the Ancients

Lords of the Outer Realms conspire against heros of the First Work in an epic struggle that spans the planes

Perion et la Foret de Champignon

(Perion and the forest of mushrooms)

22

MAR/14

19th of Ingray, 988

The Company had learned from the ordeal at Geldram’s Tower- after the surviving tiefling retreated, they decided to bed down and wait a short while before pursuing, to make sure they were at full strength when they hit the tiefling stronghold.

Using Lhankor’s ritual, the dwarven maps, Nicholas’s talents as a tracker, and Torrin’s suggestion “why don’t you just follow the trail of blood?” the company found where the wounded tielfing had retreated to, and followed his trail to a forest of Mushrooms. Nicholas recognized these as Razorcloud mushrooms, the spores of which could infect us with bloodlung if inhaled. There were also glowing mushrooms which Lhankor insisted were harmless, and tasteful if eaten with a buttery white sauce and chicken, but that duck would overpower the flavor of the mushroom. The ranger was hazy on the details of bloodlung, but insistent that they were foul. Ever-logical, Kildrak suggested all cover their mouths with cloth to hinder the spores. Still, if a lone wounded tiefling had found its way through, surely a group of six seasoned heroes would have no trouble.

After nearly an hour of stumbling, backtracking, and a good deal of guessing, The Company wandered out, with everyone except Torrin (?and Gesh?) heaving their empty stomachs, thankful that their breakfasts were made of magic and not solid food. (Although some appeared drained and haggard, Nicholas assured everyone that they appeared free from the symptoms of bloodlung. || Fortunately, only Gesh appeared to be suffering from any symptoms like bloodlung.) Unfortunately, the it soon became clear the Tiefling suspected someone would follow him- the party came upon a rope bridge with the stakes pulled from the ground. The chasm was no trouble- Perion whisked the full company across with a magic word. The quarry’s paranoia was more troubling- if the tiefling was willing to risk its own life winding through the deadly mushroom forest to keep others from following, and still destroyed a bridge, he must have considered the force he retreated from a terrible foe.

Though his best efforts were mere inconveniences, what evils could a keep of tieflings thrust upon our heroes?